Five local authorities sign up to Social Care personalisation partnership programme
18 Nov 2008
OLM Group, the largest independent supplier of information solutions to the UK Care sector, has revealed that five local authorities have joined its personalisation partnership programme. The programme, developed in response to the requirements of Transforming Social Care, and Putting People First, is designed to assist local authorities who are committed to the personalisation agenda, by providing bespoke assistance shaped according to each LA's needs and requirements.
Sam Newman, personalisation programme director at OLM Group stated: "The first cohort of local authorities to join the personalisation programme include; Wandsworth Council, Suffolk County Council, North Somerset County Council, Devon County Council and Glasgow City Council, with further councils expected to join shortly. Each authority has a bespoke partnership agreement with OLM Group designed to meet its own specific requirements."
Earlier this month, the Department of Health announced that English councils are making a 'stuttering start' to implementing personalisation reforms, and yet for the Councils that have partnered with OLM Group, significant progress is being achieved.
Mel Cassedy, assistant director at Suffolk County Council said: "Suffolk is really pleased to be working with OLM Group as one of its partners. We have made excellent progress in relation to personalisation, and through this partnership we are confident that we will deliver an even better service for people who need our support."
OLM Group has invested in a dedicated team to run the personalisation programme. The team focuses on the four areas that local authorities must address in order to develop an environment where people have choice and control over access to support needed to improve their well being and quality of life. The four domains are process, people, commissioning and technology.
Dawn Warwick, director at Wandsworth Council said: "Wandsworth Council is committed to moving to a personalised way of supporting people with social care needs. Through our partnership with OLM Group we aim to make significant advances in terms of personalisation. Ultimately it will help Wandsworth Council give people personal budgets, and consequently more choice and control over the services required."
The programme offers expertise, capacity and value to councils implementing a personalised system in adult social care. Local authorities are given the opportunity to share knowledge, success and learning as Sam Newman, explains: "The personalisation agenda calls for a fundamental change in the way adult social care services are delivered. Through working in partnership with OLM Group, local authorities can deliver important and lasting change, work collaboratively with experts and share best practice. OLM Group has made significant internal investment in the partnership programme, and we now have a significant cohort of partners that are making real progress in the area of personalisation."
Damian Furniss, head of IM&T at Devon County Council said: "Devon County Council has been working with OLM Group for a number of years, developing and implementing information technology solutions that have been key enablers of our health and social care improvement programme. We have modernised the way we do our business to be more responsive to the citizen, working closely with our health partners in joining up our services. Working with others who share these objectives will help accelerate our programme of promoting the independence and wellbeing of those we serve."